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Enclosure No. 1 to Despatch No. 124 of the 2nd April, 1903.
Hon. Colonial Secretary,
0.0 17200 RECO REGS MAY 2
I am of opinion that two Land Bailiffs should be quite able to overtake all the duties to be performed: one for Hongkong and the other for Kowloon and New Kowloon.
With regard to the former I propose that Mr. King should resume the duties so soon as the Principal Land Surveyor arrives.
With regard to the latter, it would probably be found possible to obtain an Officer from the Police who would be well fitted to perform the duties.
Both these Officers would be under the direction of the Principal Land Surveyor, to whom they would report the result of their inspections. It would be their duty to go round all the districts outside the City, on this side, and outside the developed parts of Hunghom, Yaumati, and Tsim Tsa Tsui, on the other side, with plans, showing lands leased or occupied for purposes of cultivation, and to see that no unauthorized encroachments had been made.
Practically the whole of the villages and cultivated areas have been mapped and the Squatters' Board has dealt with many of them.
Districts in the vicinity of the City, or Villages already mentioned in Kowloon, should be inspected at least once a quarter as it is there the tendency is greatest for people to squat. In the outlying villages, where there is little or no progress, the necessity for inspection is not so great and a visit twice a year would probably be quite sufficient.
The gradual bringing into shape of a number of the villages and the construction of well-laid-out roads facilitates greatly the detection of any encroachments, and, as this process is steadily going on, the work of the Land Bailiffs is simplified and reduced.
The work has practically been in abeyance lately as Mr. King has been performing other duties for the past 12 months or more.
(sd.) Chatham.
3rd June, 1901.